- Author
- Creasy,John
- Subjects
- Biographies and personal histories, Ship histories and stories, WWII operations
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- June 1983 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Thenceforward his story follows the lines of that already told, and of the general relief at being picked up, the rescue-ship whose crew could not do enough for the survivors, the battleship to which many were transferred and treated in the same warm generous way, until they were transferred again to a troopship, which then left for an unknown destination.
The first request from practically every survivor was for word of his safety to be cabled ‘home’. In dozens of letters sent as soon as the transport reached port there was the same casual attitude towards the ordeal, and the same heartfelt regret that ‘all my gifts for you went down’. Practically nothing was saved, but some items, including most of the ship’s silver’ plate, etc., had been landed before the final cruise. In every man too, there was a fierce desire to get another ship and to have another go at the Japanese.
Captain A. W.S. Agar, VC, RN, who was in command of the Dorsetshire in her final action, writes:
‘A superb example of duty and unselfish courage was set by the officers and men of the Dorsetshire. With no weapons except the last machine-gun manned by a Marine Bugler, who continued firing as the ship went down, everyone calmly set about his duty in helping others, and thus upheld the great traditions of the service to which we belong.’